meetings and perceptions

[aloisia schmid]

In article
<Pine.A41.3.95b.971006172459.39180A-100000 at homer16.u.washington.edu>, "S.
Boomer" <sarai at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> Dear Laura and others,
> 
> It has been my experience too that many scientific meetings are laced with
> way too much alcohol and sexual propositions.  For example, I attended two
> Cold Spring Harbor meetings and was, the first time, propositioned by a
> prominent faculty member, and, the second time, by a couple others
> (post-doc and grad.  student).  In both contexts, there was heavy drinking
> going on.  I have been in similar situations at a few other meetings.
> 
> I will be blunt and say that I don't drink for personal reasons and have
> been in monogamous long term relationships and so, for me, I really have
> to struggle with what I perceive as some over the line behaviour at
> professional meetings.  My experiences at them make me want to become the
> classic introvert, in many ways.  I don't consider it networking when you
> are talking to some guy who is slurring their speech as they try to haul
> you on the dance floor and beyond;  I doubt them will remember their
> behaviour in the morning. Anyway - my friends joke about me winding up
> with the faculty position in the only dry town in Oregon, for the record.
> How ironic!
> 
> I just wanted to add my two cents to this one because I have
> found a lot of potential for people (WOMEN) to mess themselves up
> professionally in the context of meetings.  I say women because my
> experience has always been with men doing this kind of thing to me.  I
> believe that men also have this potential (I certainly don't respect the
> PI and students/post-docs who did it to me) but, because of the
> gender differential in terms of power, men are usually the ones who have
> the power to hire or make career decisions.
>   
> 
> Sarah


O.K., so given recent postings, I may be just the teensiest bit defensive
on this point, but let me only say that I have NEVER behaved
inappropriately in this way at a meeing.  My recent reference to having
said some stupid things refered to telling my PI what I thought of a
former co-worker (I didn't like him!).  Just thought I'd point that
out....


                                                   alice